Free
University Courses
History
The Modern Scholar; George Washington University
"From the Minoans to the Mycenaeans to the Trojan War and the first Olympics, the history of this remarkable civilization abounds with momentous events and cultural landmarks that resonate through the millennia. Ancient Greece, indeed, lives on in modern culture, evidenced by an ever-present fascination with the tales of Homer, Greek drama, and the spectacular stories associated with Greek mythology."
Introduction to Ancient Greek History
Yale University
"This is an introductory course in Greek history tracing the development of Greek civilization as manifested in political, intellectual, and creative achievements from the Bronze Age to the end of the classical period. Students read original sources in translation as well as the works of modern scholars."
Weslayan University
A survey of Ancient Greece form the Bronze Age to the death of Socrates.
Hillsdale College
The History and Legacy of two great Ancient Greek cities, the birth of democracy, and the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.
Introducing the Classical World
The Open University
"This course aims to get you started on exploring the Classical world by introducing you to the sources upon which you can build your knowledge and understanding."
Colgate University
"Gain a broad-based understanding of warfare in ancient Greece through Homer’s account of the Trojan War in the Iliad."
Myth
The Great Courses Series
"Professor Vandiver anchors her presentation in some basics. What is a myth? Which societies use myths? What are some of the problems inherent in studying classical mythology? She also discusses the most influential 19th- and 20th-century thinking about myth's nature and function, including the psychological theories of Freud and Jung and the metaphysical approach of Joseph Campbell. You'll also consider the relationship between mythology and culture (such as the implications of the myth of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades for the Greek view of life, death, and marriage), the origins of classical mythology (including the similarities between the Theogony and Mesopotamian creation myths), and the dangers of probing for distant origins (for example, there's little evidence that a prehistoric "mother goddess" lies at the heart of mythology)."
Great Books 101: Ancient to Medieval
Hillsdale College
The Greatest Works of Western Literature, including Homer, Sophocles, and Virgil.
Masterpieces of World Literature
Harvard University
The 2nd (Epic of Gilgamesh) and 3rd modules (The Odyssey)are the only relevant ones.
University of Pennsylvania
"This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths."
The Illiad of Homer
The Great Courses Series
"As you'll learn, the grandeur and immediacy of Homer's world would seem to defy time and space. Throughout these lectures, you'll explore this legendary era in brilliant, unforgettable hues. You'll meet its towering heroes who thirst for honor and the gods who inspired and instigated them. You'll go deep inside the shattering battles at Troy that act out mankind's awesome passions for glory, love, and vengeance. But more than that, you'll focus on the timeless human issues this masterpiece raises, all of them evoked by the power of a single dramatic question: Why does Achilles rage? The limits of freedom, the common humanity we share, the line between justice and revenge, the nature of destiny, the meaning of life - Professor Vandiver uses the Iliad as a potent lens through which to study them all."
The Open University
"Focuses on the epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War. It begins with the wider cycle of myths of which the Iliad was a part. It then looks at the story of the poem itself and its major theme of Achilles' anger, in particular in the first seven lines. It examines some of the characteristic features of the text: meter, word order and epithets. Finally, it explores Homer's use of simile. The course should prepare you for reading the Iliad on your own with greater ease and interest."
Harvard University
"Discover the literature and heroes of ancient Greece through the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey , the tragedies of Sophocles, the dialogues of Plato, and more."
Icarus: Entering the World of Myth
The Open University
"Icarus: Entering the World of Myth, will introduce you to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various retellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an in-depth reading of Icarus’ story as told by the Roman poet Ovid, one of the most important and sophisticated figures in the history of ancient myth-making. After this you will study the way in which Ovid’s Icarus myth has been reworked and transformed by later poets and painters."
The Open University
"This free course offers an introduction to the Aeneid. Virgil’s Latin epic, written in the 1st century BCE, tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his journey to Italy, where he would become the ancestor of the Romans. Here, you will focus on the characterization of this legendary hero, and learn why he was so important to the Romans of the Augustan era. This course uses translations of Virgil’s poem, and assumes no prior knowledge of Latin, but it will introduce you to some key Latin words and phrases in the original text."
Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature
The Modern Scholar; Wheaton College
"In this course, Professor Michael D. C. Drout traces literature back to its ultimate sources in oral tradition. Drout shows us how works as varied as the Odyssey, Beowulf, the Finnish Kalevala, and epic songs from the former Yugoslavia were shaped by their origins as songs sung - and composed - before a live audience. Understanding the oral roots of these great works lets us see them in a whole new light. From classical texts to contemporary digital media, Drout demonstrates how the dynamics of oral tradition shape the verbal art that makes us who we are."
Philosophy
Introduction to Western Philosophy
Hillsdale College
"Explore the works of the most important philosophers of the West, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, and Nietzsche, as they wrestle with the fundamental questions that all human beings are called to answer."
Ancient Philosophy: Plato and His Predecessors
University of Pennsylvania
"This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is an underlying order to the changing world. Parmenides of Elea formulated a powerful objection to all these proposals, while later Greek theorists (such as Anaxagoras and the atomist Democritus) attempted to answer that objection. In fifth-century Athens, Socrates insisted on the importance of the fundamental ethical question—“How shall I live?”—and his pupil, Plato, and Plato’s pupil, Aristotle, developed elaborate philosophical systems to explain the nature of reality, knowledge, and human happiness."
Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues by Plato
National University of Singapore
A detailed class on Plato's Euthyphro, Meno, and Republic (Book 1).
Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
University of Pennsylvania
"Aristotle developed elaborate philosophical systems to explain the nature of reality, knowledge, and human happiness. After the death of Aristotle, in the Hellenistic period, Epicureans and Stoics developed and transformed that earlier tradition."
Introduction to Artistotle's Ethics: How to Lead a Good Life
Hillsdale College
The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle's teachings about human nature, the meaning of the good, and the virtues necessary for happiness.
Epictetus' Enchiridion: Ancient Philosophy and Peace of Mind
Sadler Academy
"This course is designed to assist learners in studying a classic text of Stoic philosophy, Epictetus' Enchiridion (or handbook). You'll come away with a solid understanding of key concepts of this practical approach to the problems and challenges of life."
Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature
Yale University
Pairs traditional and foundational texts of Western Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, and others) with recent findings in cognitive science and related fields.
University of California, Irvine
"Skepticism is about doubt, and doubt is everywhere in the world around us today. There are doubts about whether man-made climate change is real, whether vaccinations are harmful, whether we can trust our politicians or our media, and so on. When is such skepticism warranted, and when does it stray into unreasonable territory? How widespread can such skepticism get while still being coherent? How might a radical skepticism have pernicious social consequences, such as by leading to relativism (and just what is relativism, and what is problematic about it)?"
Yale University
"This course will examine a number of issues that arise once we begin to reflect on our mortality. The possibility that death may not actually be the end is considered. Are we, in some sense, immortal? Would immortality be desirable? Also a clearer notion of what it is to die is examined. What does it mean to say that a person has died? What kind of fact is that? And, finally, different attitudes to death are evaluated. Is death an evil?" Covers Plato's Phaedo and other non-Greek authors.
Misc.
Mathematics and Logic: From Euclid to Modern Geometry
Hillsdale College
"Study the transformation of mathematics by the ancient Greeks, discover the fundamentals of logic and deductive reasoning, examine the central proofs of Euclid, learn about the birth of modern geometry, and much more."
PredictionX: Omens, Oracles, and Prophecies
Harvard University
"An overview of divination systems, ranging from ancient Chinese bone burning to modern astrology."
The Ancient Olympics: Bridging Past and Present
The Open University
"The Ancient Olympics: bridging past and present, highlights the similarities and differences between our modern Games and the Ancient Olympics and explores why today, as we prepare for future Olympics, we still look back at the Classical world for meaning and inspiration."
The Open University
"One of the most important questions for any student of the ancient world to address is 'how do we know what we know about antiquity?' Whether we're thinking about urban architecture, or love poetry, or modern drama, a wide range of factors shape the picture of antiquity that we have today. This free course, Library of Alexandria, encourages you to reflect upon and critically assess those factors. Interpreting an ancient text, or a piece of material culture, or understanding an historical event, is never a straightforward process of 'discovery', but is always affected by things such as translation choices, the preservation (or loss) of an archaeological record, or the agendas of scholars."
The Open University
"The body in antiquity, will introduce you to the concept of the body in Greek and Roman civilization. In recent years, the body has become a steadily growing field in historical scholarship, and Classical Studies is no exception. It is an aspect of the ancient world that can be explored through a whole host of different types of evidence: art, literature and archaeological artefacts to name but a few. The way that people fulfil their basic bodily needs and engage in their daily activities is embedded in the social world around them. The body is a subject that can reveal fascinating aspects of both Greek and Roman culture it will help you to better understand the diversity of ancient civilization."